Artifacts

Child's rocking chair that was Ben H. Plymale's (1888-1929) when he was a child in Jacksonville, Oregon.

Leather gloves that were the property of Artinecia Riddle Chapman Merriman (1830-1917). She had these during her family's trek on the Oregon Trail in 1851. She had such slender fingers (as obvious by the gloves) that she used these very gloves to pull a bullet from a man's wound when he was shot on the Oregon Trail (this is documented in a book written by her brother.

Another photo showing the above gloves and the hand of Artinecia's great-great-granddaughter, Maggie Brown. Maggie is wearing the engagement ring of Vera (Merriman) Plymale.

These mittens were found with the above leather gloves of Artinecia Merriman and are believed to also have been hers.

Quilt that was made by Artinecia Riddle Chapman Merriman (1830-1917) in 1846, when she was 15 or 16. It came with her across the Oregon Trail in 1851. It is now housed at the Southern Oregon Historical Society.

Wooden cradle that was built by William H. Merriman in 1854, for his first child with wife second wife Artinecia. It rocked their subsequent 14 more children. It is now housed at the Southern Oregon Historical Society. This photo is taken from Southern Oregon Heritage Today, a publication of the SOHS.